Gallbladder and Health Problems

The gall bladder is a small pouch-like organ located on the right side of the human body, resting on the underside of the right portion of the liver. Its purpose is to aid digestion and store bile produced by the liver until it is contracted out of the body during digestion. A combination of bile salts and cholesterol in the gallbladder help regulate the body’s digestive functions. If the bile becomes abnormally mixed with cholesterol, gallstones may form. Gallstones are hard, crystallized stone-like deposits of varying sizes. When the gallbladder contracts to empty the bile, these stones may move into the cystic duct or the common bile duct causing pain. If the flow of bile is prevented from entering the duodenum, the serious disease of jaundice can occur. If left untreated, gall bladder symptoms may lead to cancer. In addition, gall bladder symptoms are often similar to those of other serious conditions, such as heart attack, liver disease and gastroenteritis.

Mild Gallbladder Symptoms

Diseases of the gall bladder are often very painful. However, there may be few or no symptoms at all and the disease is often initially discovered during a routine physical examination. Mild symptoms usually occur as indigestion with the accompanying gas, abdominal bloating and a general sensation of fullness after eating. There may be some mild pain or cramping. This discomfort may last a short time or continue for several hours.

Serious Gallbladder Symptoms

Serious gall bladder symptoms require immediate medical attention. Any pain that radiates from the abdomen to the back, typically below the right shoulder, should be cause for concern. Fever, nausea, vomiting, sweating and chills are also warning signs that serious disease may be present. A yellowing of the skin coloring or the whites of the eyes may indicate jaundice. Urine may become a dark yellow. Since gastric ulcers, pneumonia and kidney stones can have similar symptoms, tests should be done to determine the cause.

Listing of Possible Gallbladder Symptoms

Any of the following may be gallbladder symptoms indicating disease.

• Uncomfortable bloating or feeling of extreme fullness and cramping
• Heartburn and indigestion
• Gas with belching
• Pressure under the right ribcage that is uncomfortable
• Painful abdominal contractions and tenderness that starts below the right ribcage and may radiate toward the breastbone or between the shoulder blades
• Pain that escalates over a short time and then becomes consistent
• Pain that increases with movement or coughing
• Pain particularly noticeable after a fatty or highly spiced meal
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Any change in bowel function such as constipation or diarrhea
• Stool color fades from brown to a pale yellow or chalky color
• Urine becomes dark yellow
• Skin that itches

The following symptoms are serious and require immediate emergency care.

• Skin and whites of eyes become yellow, indicating jaundice
• Sweating and/or chills
• Vomiting, especially if brown bile, may indicate a ruptured gallbladder
• Persistent pain with fever
• Any chest pain which may indicate a heart attack

Recommendations

Some of these symptoms may be quite mild and controlled by reducing the amount of fat and highly spiced foods in the diet. But if the pain is severe, uncontrollable and persistent, only medical diagnostics can determine the true cause. Since gallbladder symptoms mirror symptoms of other serious diseases, tests will be needed to rule out any other illnesses, prior to treatment. Except in extremely mild cases, self-medication is never recommended and may lead to serious consequences or death.